Update, 16 October 2026: The Oxford Half Marathon took place on Sunday 11 October 2026. This page now records the 2026 route and published race-day arrangements. Its road closures, shuttle services and entry offers have expired. They must not be used to plan a future race.
For finish times, photographs or a query about a result, use the organiser’s 2026 finishers hub. The next race is advertised for Sunday 10 October 2027; check the official Oxford Half website for entry information. Detailed 2027 arrangements are not yet confirmed.
The 2026 Oxford Half Marathon was a 13.1-mile race through central Oxford, North Oxford, Summertown and Marston, starting and finishing on Mansfield Road.
The published main-race start was 9.30am, following the Schools’ Challenge at 8.30am. The Event Village was in University Parks. The sections below retain the route and traffic information for that event, with corrections from the organiser’s final participant guide.
Oxford Half Marathon 2026 timetable
These were the published timings for 11 October 2026, rather than confirmed timings for 2027.
| Activity | 2026 scheduled time or location |
|---|---|
| Event Village and bag drop open | 7.30am, University Parks, OX1 3RF |
| Schools’ Challenge | 8.30am |
| Main race starts | 9.30am, Mansfield Road, OX1 3SZ |
| Final runners cross the start | 10.15am |
| Course cut-off | 1.45pm |
| Event Village and bag drop close | 2.30pm |
The organiser’s participant guide now identifies its detailed information as a record of the 2026 event. It says runners predicted to finish after 1.45pm could be moved onto the pavement to allow roads to reopen.
What was the 2026 route?
The advertised route started and finished on Mansfield Road and passed through central Oxford, North Oxford, Summertown, Cutteslowe and Old Marston. Landmarks included the Sheldonian Theatre, Bodleian Library, Radcliffe Camera and Bridge of Sighs.
The organiser described it as a fast, flat course on closed roads. Its 2026 route page remains available, but that page and the map below should not be treated as confirmation of the 2027 course.
Published road closures for 10–11 October 2026
These event restrictions have ended. The tables record the timetable published in Oxfordshire County Council’s 2026 event notice, rather than the actual minute each road reopened.
The start and finish area had the longest planned closure, from Saturday morning until Sunday evening. Other roads were scheduled to reopen in stages, subject to safety and traffic-management arrangements.
Published 2026 start and finish restrictions
| Roads | Published 2026 restriction |
|---|---|
| Mansfield Road, Savile Road, Holywell Street and Jowett Walk | 9am on Saturday 10 October to 9pm on Sunday 11 October |
Published 2026 central Oxford closures
| Road or area | Published 2026 closure on Sunday 11 October |
|---|---|
| South Parks Road, St Cross Road, Longwall Street, Radcliffe Square, Catte Street and Broad Street | 6am to 4pm |
| Parks Road, Museum Road, Blackhall Road, Keble Road, part of Turl Street and Magdalen Bridge | 6am to 4pm |
| High Street between Magdalen Bridge and King Edward Street | 8am to 11.30am |
| Magdalen Street East | 7.30am to 11.30am |
| St Giles southbound | 7.30am to 11.30am |
Published 2026 North Oxford and Summertown closures
| Road or area | Published 2026 closure |
|---|---|
| Banbury Road between St Giles and Beech Croft Road | 7.30am to 2pm |
| Belbroughton Road, Chadlington Road, Bardwell Road, Norham Road, Fyfield Road and Norham Gardens | 7.30am to 2pm |
| Charlbury Road between Belbroughton Road and Linton Road | 7.30am to 2pm |
| Linton Road between Charlbury Road and Chadlington Road | 7.30am to 2pm |
| Banbury Road between Beech Croft Road and the A40 at Elsfield Road | 7.30am to 12.15pm |
| Wentworth Road, Aldrich Road, Water Eaton Road and Victoria Road | 7.30am to 12.15pm |
Published 2026 Marston closures
| Road or area | Published 2026 closure |
|---|---|
| Marston Ferry Road, Cherwell Drive, Oxford Road, Elsfield Road and Marsh Lane | 7.30am to 1.30pm |
| Eastbound and westbound A40 off-slips at the Marston junction | 7.30am to 1.30pm |
| Elms Drive | 7.30am to 1.30pm |
| Mortimer Drive between Oxford Road and Raymund Road | 7.30am to 1.30pm |
| Raymund Road between Mortimer Drive and St Nicholas Primary School | 7.30am to 1.30pm |
| Path between Raymund Road and Oxford Road | 7.30am to 1.30pm |
| Marston Ferry Road cycle path between Oxford Road and Banbury Road | 7.30am to 1.30pm |
The notice also covered waiting, loading and parking restrictions, including the suspension of some permit, pay-and-display and Blue Badge bays. Property access was subject to marshal control, with exemptions for emergency services and event support.
Temporary two-way arrangements on 11 October 2026
| Road | Temporary arrangement | Published 2026 time |
|---|---|---|
| South Parade | Two-way traffic between Banbury Road and Stratfield Road | 7.30am to 12.15pm |
| Oakthorpe Road | Two-way traffic between Banbury Road and Stratfield Road | 7.30am to 12.15pm |
| Thorncliffe Road | Two-way traffic between Banbury Road and Oakthorpe Place | 7.30am to 12.15pm |
The published notice included temporary suspensions of the St Cross Road traffic filter and High Street bus-gate restrictions during specified race-day periods. Those event-specific changes did not provide unrestricted access through closed roads and do not apply now.
Source note: The council’s published page contains an apparent leftover reference to 2025 within the order text. The tables above reproduce the notice’s stated 10–11 October 2026 schedule; they are not legal advice about enforcement. An earlier version of this article incorrectly said the council page carried a “manual-review warning”. We have removed that unsupported attribution.
Race-day Park & Ride arrangements in 2026
The organiser arranged an event-specific service from Unipart House, Garsington Road, OX4 6LX. Its published schedule had the car park opening at 6.30am, outbound shuttles to High Street every ten minutes from 7am to 8.30am, and return buses from 11am to 2pm. Tickets sold out.
Additional early buses were advertised from Redbridge, Pear Tree and Thornhill, starting at 7am. These were public car parks, so pre-purchasing travel did not guarantee a space. The organiser’s 2026 travel page records those arrangements. They are no longer bookable for the 2026 race.
For an ordinary visit to Oxford now, see our current Oxford Park & Ride guide and check the operator’s timetable. An event shuttle and a regular Park & Ride service are separate products.
London coaches, rail services and bus diversions
The organiser’s 2026 travel instructions advised that the first Sunday train from London would arrive too late for the race. It suggested travelling the day before or using the Oxford Tube, where a ticket did not guarantee a seat on a specific coach.
The same page listed event-morning departures from Didcot Parkway at 6.34am, 7.10am and 7.46am. These are historical race-day times, not a current Sunday timetable. The organiser also warned that ordinary Sunday bus services could be diverted or delayed.
For future journeys, check Great Western Railway, Oxford Tube and Oxford Bus Company service updates.
Aid stations and corrections to this guide
The final participant guide listed water and refill stations at approximately 3.8, 7.7, 10.1 and 11.4 miles. At 6.5 miles it listed OTE energy gels rather than water. Our earlier reference to sports drink and bottle refill at that point has been corrected.
The final guide also gave 2.30pm as the Event Village and bag-drop closing time, replacing the 3pm time in our original preview.
Results, photographs and the next race
The official 2026 finishers hub links to race results, photographs and a form for querying a finish time or position.
The organiser advertises the next Oxford Half for 10 October 2027. Entry availability, charity fundraising commitments, transfer policies, accessibility arrangements, road closures and transport must be checked for that edition. The expired 2026 entry and transfer instructions have been removed from this page.
